Study: Tracking Food Helps Weight Loss

Losing weight or even maintaining it can be a struggle for any woman. But now studies show, simply writing down what you eat can make all the difference.

Weight Watchers wasn't Clare Helling's first attempt at dieting, but it seems to be sticking.

"It went well. I reached my first goal. By December I lost 25 pounds through tracking and I tracked religiously," Helling said.

Keeping track of her daily food intake has become a part of her regular routine.

"I know about what I should eat for breakfast what I should eat for lunch and it's usually the snacks that get you," Helling said.

But as Helling has learned it's easy to get back on the wagon.

"I think it's just being mindful of what I am eating and just being accountable to it and knowing that I am the only one that is responsible for what I eat if I want to lose weight or stay the same," Helling said.

"Successful members keep track of what they eat because we know that it shows it's reality," Boyum said.

While tracking has always been a part of Weight Watcher's programs, it's gone digital now and you can do it on your smart phones or even your tablets.

"You know we now have so many members that have smart phones and we have computer access. They can track as they are eating it. They can do what we call pre-tracking where they track ahead of time, the meals before they eat them," Boyum said.

Helling is just one of the many using the technology to stay on track.

"I prefer to do it on my iPad because I have it there at dinner. And after dinner I clean up and I just pre-track my foods for the next day as I'm packing my lunch," Helling said.

That's when technology keeps you honest and can lead to better choices when deciding what to eat.

Boyum also says being a successful tracker doesn't require Weight Watchers. Simply writing down what you eat on your own can be an eye-opening experience.